Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to systems and methods for power charging or discharging, and more particularly relate to a system and a method for charging or discharging an energy storage component such as a capacitor.
Less than one percent of water on the earth's surface is suitable for direct consumption in domestic or industrial applications. With the limited sources of natural drinking water, de-ionization of seawater or brackish water, commonly known as desalination, is a way to produce fresh water. There are a number of desalination techniques that are currently employed to de-ionize or desalt a water source.
Capacitive deionization is one of the desalination techniques. When saline water passes through a high-surface-area electrode assembly, ions in the water, such as dissolved salts, metals, and some organics, are attracted to oppositely charged electrodes. This concentrates the ions at the electrodes and reduces the concentration of the ions in the water. When the electrode capacity is exhausted, the saline feed water flow is stopped, and the capacitor is discharged, optionally into a separate, more concentrated solution.
Conventionally, a converter with or without energy recovery capability is used to charge or discharge the electrode assembly. However, the converter typically has low efficiency.
It is desirable to provide a system and method for charging or discharging the energy storage device with improved efficiency to address the above-mentioned problems.